Facing the Past
by winterangel06
Summary: After celebrating her first Christmas in sixteen years, Brennan is forced to finally face her past. Will this allow her to realize what’s right in front of her and finally move on?
1. Chapter One

_A/N: This takes place after Santa in the Slush. This is my first Bones fan fic, so I hope you enjoy. I am going to try really hard to keep them in character. _

**Facing the Past**

**Chapter One **

"So I guess no Peru?"

Rolling her eyes at the unconventional greeting, Temperance Brennan moved out of the way and allowed Seeley Booth to enter her apartment. But her expression quickly turned from amusement to annoyance as she took in the object he had pulled from beside him and was now carrying.

Crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, Brennan coolly asked, "What is that?"

Flashing his trademark grin Booth walked past Brennan, heading straight for her living room. "Geez Bones, considering you're supposed to be some sort of genius I would have thought you'd know what a tree is…"

Clenching her jaw, she closed the door and headed toward him, "I know what a tree is Booth. What I want to know is why there is one in my living room."

"It's a Christmas tree," he said proudly as he set the tree down on the floor. It was about five feet tall, set in a tree stand and already covered in lights. Knowing that his partner was far from amused, Booth began to explain. "It was Parker's idea. When we were setting up that tree for your family last night, he asked me why. Rather then explain that your dad was in jail, I told him that it was because you didn't have a Christmas tree. Well that didn't sit well with him and he wanted to give you that one, but since it was supposed to be ours he made me go back and proceeded to pick this one for you."

Booth reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that had been messily folded. Passing it to her he continued, "Parker also insisted we put lights around it. He had wanted to bring it by last night, but it was late so he made me promise I would bring it here right after I dropped him off at Rebecca's."

Unfolding the paper, a smile began to form on Brennan's face as she looked at it. It was a picture of a Christmas tree, with a stick person standing in front of it. At the top was written, 'Merry Christmas Dr. Bones.' Placing the drawing carefully on her bookshelf, Brennan met Booths eyes, "Someday we are going to have a talk about why you have Parker calling me Bones…"

"So you're not mad?" Booth asked hopefully, having been unsure as to how his partner would take the gesture. And as she shook her head, he felt a sense of relief course through him.

"How can I be mad when it's from Parker? It's actually really sweet." She said with a laugh, staring at the tree that stood before her.

"Good! Then I can light this baby up..." Booth exclaimed with childlike excitement as he dropped to his knees and plugged the cord into the wall.

"Why would you refer to a tree as your baby?" Brennan asked in confusion. But her question went unanswered as the colorful lights around the tree came to life and lit up the entire room. Even though Brennan wasn't one for Christmas and all the traditions and decorations that went with it, she admitted to herself that there was something beautiful about trees being lit up for the season.

"Parker wanted to decorate it with ornaments but I convinced him that the lights were enough." Booth's voice broke Brennan out of her thoughts, and his words caused her to remember something.

Explaining that she would be back in a second, Brennan left a confused Booth behind her and entered her bedroom. Closing the door, she leaned against it and took a second to think before heading for her closest. Kneeling down, she reached in to the back and felt around until her hands clasped a familiar shaped box. Bringing it out of the closest, she took a few seconds and just stared at it.

The box hadn't been opened in years and Brennan wasn't sure if she wanted to change that. But thinking of the Christmas Eve she had spent with her father and brother, and of the tree set up in her living room, she took a deep breath and climbed to her feet.

She would do it for her mother.

Forcing a small smile, she rejoined a worried Booth in the living room, and held up the box. "Since Parker went to all this trouble for me, I should honor his wish and put some ornaments on the tree."

But, Booth easily saw through her smile and neutral tone and glanced down at the box that she was tightly gripping. It looked like an old shoe box but based on its size, it had probably been meant for a pair of boots. It was faded and yellowed with age, and he could see a layer of newspaper sticking out from underneath it. Booth figured that the box held ornaments from her past and his eyes reflected his concern. "Are you sure Bones? Parker is fine with there just being lights on the tree…"

But Brennan shook her head and placed the box on the table. Busying herself with opening the lid, she turned away from Booth before speaking. "Christmas was my mother's favorite time of year. She loved ornaments and decorations, and would always remark how unfortunate it was that all these beautiful things spent most of the time being boxed up and hidden." She laughed softly, "She'd be furious if she knew I've kept these boxed up and hidden for fifteen years."

After taking the protective layer of newspaper off the top, she turned back to face him. "Mom would buy Russ and I an ornament every Christmas. She would spend months looking for the one that best fit our personalities or interests for that year, and sometimes would make them herself."

Touched that Brennan was willingly letting him in and sharing something from her past with him, Booth opted to try and make it fun. Smiling he moved toward the box, "A glimpse into the famous Dr. Brennan's personality as a child? I'm not going to pass that up. I bet you liked Barbie's, didn't you Bones?."

Knowing that her partner was trying to ease the tension, Brennan just rolled her eyes and pulled the first ornament out of the box – a dolphin. As she carefully hung it on the tree, she glanced over at Booth, "I never liked Barbie's."

For the next twenty minutes they worked together to hang the fifteen different ornaments that Brennan had accumulated throughout her childhood. There was a wide range of them, most of which were self explanatory such as the ornaments of a book and of a microscope, but others warranted an explanation. Such as the one of a hockey stick, which led to Brennan explaining that as a child she had enjoyed watching the sport with Russ and her dad.

The only tense moment occurred when they had come to the last ornament in the box, which had been the first ornament she had ever received from her mother. It was simple, and ball-shaped with her birth year on top, but written underneath was the word 'Joy'. For a few seconds Brennan froze, just staring at the object in her hands. Finally she softly spoke, "I remember asking my mom one Christmas why Joy was written on it, and not Temperance. She never looked at me, just continued to put the other ornaments on the tree and told me it was because I was her joy. She said that deep down she had wanted a girl and had been so happy when I was born that I filled her with joy." Brennan's face went blank and she placed the ball back in the box. "I guess that was another lie."

Booth sighed, realizing that Brennan was starting to put her walls back up. The family Christmas and tree decorating had both been big steps for her, and Booth refused to let them be ruined by a simple ornament. Reaching into the box he picked it back up and turned to face her.

"You should put this on the tree."

Brennan defensively crossed her arms against her chest and stared at him coolly. "No."

"Bones, no matter what your name was or is, I have no doubt that you brought joy to your mother. From the few pictures I have seen of the two of you, your mother adored you. In those pictures, she looks at you the way I look at Parker." Booth paused and considered whether or not to continue, but seeing a flash of sadness in Brennan's eyes and knowing he was getting to her, he opted to.

"I know you don't like to think of yourself as being Joy – you have and always will be Temperance Brennan. But, Joy was the name your mother originally picked for you. Whether you like to think of it or not, I imagine that the reason she picked it was because you were her joy. You birth brought her joy. So I don't think you should box this ornament away because you see it as a painful reminder of your past. I think you should keep it out as a reminder of how your mom felt about you and how much she loved you." Booth extended his arm toward her and held out the ornament. "But it's your choice."

Brennan remained silent and motionless for a few seconds, appearing to be in deep thought. Finally she wordlessly took the ball from him and hung it off to the side of the tree. Turning back to Booth, she motioned to the sofa. "Do you want to stay for dinner? I know how much Christmas means to you, and know you probably don't want to be alone…"

Smiling at the fact Brennan's walls hadn't completely gone back up, Booth nodded. "Can you make Mac and Cheese?" he asked eagerly, grinning like a child.

Brennan bit back a smile, secretly amused by his antics. "I know people say I have a lot to learn about social etiquette, but isn't it considered rude for the guest to request what meal the host serves?"

Booth slung his arm around Brennan's shoulder and led her toward the kitchen. "But see Bones I am not a guest, I am your partner. There's a huge difference between the two. Partners are allowed to take liberties with things like asking for Mac and Cheese. Plus, I will help with grating cheese or boiling water, so that will make dinner a team effort."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan allowed herself to be led over to the fridge and listened to Booth continue to explain the reasons why their partnership allowed him to take advantage of her hospitality.

'_I'm glad he's here.'_

The realization suddenly struck Brennan and caused her to smile softly. Christmas was by no means her favorite time of year, but this year had been special, and most of that was due to the influence and help of Booth. For the first time in sixteen years she had spent Christmas with her family, and for those few hours in the trailer she had finally felt as if she belonged somewhere – a feeling that was reinforced by the appearance of the tree Booth had set up for them. Then, due to the idealism his six year old son, she had received her own tree, and the chance to remember her mother through those forgotten ornaments.

And she had kissed Booth.

This thought also came suddenly but rather then smile, Brennan froze. _'The kiss meant nothing,'_ she told herself, as she tried to push these thoughts out of her mind and focus on the cheese sauce she was starting to prepare. But, no matter how hard she tried, Brennan suddenly couldn't forget how good his lips felt against hers, and how natural it felt to feel him pressed up against her.

'_It was just mistletoe_,' she reminded herself, '_it was nothing more then some stupid holiday traditio_n.'

And while Brennan was finally able to push these thoughts from her mind and concentrate on making dinner, deep down a gnawing feeling remained, suggesting that she wasn't being truthful to herself.


	2. Chapter Two

_A/N: Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed. It is such an unbelievable feeling to see reviews from authors whose stories I have been reading and loving. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added me to alert lists… it keeps me motivated to go on and keep writing. _

**Chapter Two **

Christmas Day ended up being both uneventful and enjoyable for Booth and Brennan. They had made their Mac and Cheese – though often arguing as they attempted to work together in the kitchen – exchanged Christmas presents and then spent the rest of the evening having a few beers while flipping through some of the various Christmas specials and movies that were being aired. Booth had finally left around 10pm and they had talked about maybe meeting for dinner at Wong Foo's the following night.

Booth knew it was unlikely they would be catching any new cases before the New Year and he was looking forward to having a few days off. That was one of the benefits of being middle-level in the FBI, as during the holidays all the newer agents were on duty and assigned most of the incoming cases, unless they were high profile involving the mob or human trafficking, which were automatically kicked to the higher ups in the agency. Plus, Booth knew Camille had alerted Cullen to the fact that all the squints were on holiday and would not be back until the 2nd of January.

When he and Brennan had first started working together, the idea was for it to be occasional. The purpose was to establish a good working relationship with the Jeffersonian and bring them in if cases called for their expertise. But as the months passed and he and Brennan established a good track record, almost all the cases assigned to him required the help of the Jeffersonian, something which allowed Brennan to be recognized as his partner.

And Booth wouldn't have it any other way.

Booth's morning had passed quickly and quietly. He had decided to work on taking down the Christmas decorations and he and Parker had quickly put up, and worked on finishing up some paperwork from his last few cases. He was just starting to think about heading over to the lab and forcing Brennan to break for lunch when his cell phone rang. Upon answering it, Booth was surprised when the caller identified himself as the Warden of the Federal Penitentiary. The warden got quickly to the point and explained that Max Keenan was insisting on speaking to Booth right away. After making the necessary arrangements for their meeting, Booth hung up the phone and took a few minutes to think.

Booth hadn't seen Max since arresting him and had absolutely no idea why he now wanted a meeting.

'_Should I call Bones?_' The question plagued him as he thought about the situation. His mind immediately said yes. She was Max's daughter and if something was going on she needed to hear about it. But, his instinct said otherwise. Max was not a careless man and if he had wanted Brennan there, he would have specified that.

Deciding to go with his instinct – and hoping he didn't piss off Brennan in the process – Booth grabbed his stuff and headed out.

As Booth stepped into the visitors room that had been prepared for him, he couldn't help but sigh in frustration. He hated going into situations blind, and found himself on edge as a result of not knowing what Max wanted.

Max was already sitting on his side of the table and Booth motioned to the guards that they could leave the room as he slipped into the seat across from him.

"I wondered if you would bring Tempe." Max began, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"You asked for me," Was Booth's simple reply, unsure of what to say to the man in front of him.

"Well, first I want to thank you for Christmas Eve. The tree was really great, and I know you probably had a lot to do with convincing my daughter to give up Peru."

Booth shrugged, "It was nothing."

"No," Max said forcefully, "it was something. Having a family Christmas for the first time in sixteen years meant a lot to me, and I could tell it meant a lot to Tempe as well. Thank you."

Slightly embarrassed by being praised by someone he had both fought and arrested, Booth changed the subject. "So, why did you want to see me Max?"

Max's expression suddenly turned wistful and he remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Do you know, that Christmas Eve was the first time in sixteen years I have seen Tempe truly be herself in a social setting? She's always been confident, which I've got to tell you, I am proud of her for, but never really at ease. She's always hiding behind her degrees and titles and is always serious. She never lets anyone see the real her. I don't mean her intelligence or intellect, but her emotions and feelings. But Christmas Eve was different. She actually laughed and talked to the girls and Amy, and at the end of the night even hugged everyone. For those few hours I really got a chance to see the old Temperance and what's been missing in her all these years." Max paused for a second and eyed Booth, "But I imagine you're the exception. You do get to see the real her, she lets you in. Probably most of it's done in private and away from everyone else, but you're the one person she will let her guard down with."

Though not understanding where Max was going with all of this, Booth did notice the familiar way in which he was addressing Temperance… almost as if he hadn't been absent for the past sixteen years. Booth looked at Max in confusion, "You talk as if you've seen first hand how Temperance has been since you disappeared." And when Max said nothing in response, Booth narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second, are you telling me all these years you were keeping tabs on her?"

Leaning forward Max looked Booth straight in the eyes. "You're a father. If someone was after you and you had to leave your son – that cute little boy I saw standing beside you on Christmas Eve – in order to keep him safe, wouldn't you keep tabs on him? Watch from a distance and make sure he was safe?" When Booth didn't answer, Max took that as a sign of agreement and went on speaking.

"I did keep track of both of them and let me tell you it wasn't easy. To stand by and watch powerlessly as your son gets caught up with the wrong crowd and is eventually arrested. To see Temperance passed around to various foster families and watch as she became more and more closed off." Max shook his head, and sighed. "Do you have any idea how her mother and I felt when we found out Russ had taken off and left Tempe in foster care? It took all my self control not to come out of hiding to throttle him and get her out. But I couldn't. Just as I had to stand by and do nothing when she ended up in one home with an abusive foster brother. Do you think I liked being powerless in my daughter's life?"

Thinking of what Temperance had had to endure in the system caused Booth to grow angry and he suddenly snapped, "But you weren't powerless Max. You had other options. You didn't need to just abandon them."

Max sighed, "Maybe there were other options. But I stand by our decision – because it kept them safe. Of course I spent years questioning what we did. It killed me to watch Temperance graduate high school and then work her way to grad school, and not be able to let her know how proud I was of her. But, every time I stood in the back of those graduation ceremonies, I reminded myself that she and Russ were safe. And now sixteen years later, they are both alive. That's all that matters to me. As a parent you should understand that."

"Why am I here Max?" Booth asked warily.

But Max ignored him and continued talking about his daughter. "From the time she was born, Temperance was never typical. She learned everything, from how to walk and talk to read and write, faster then Russ, or any other kids her age. But that doesn't mean she wasn't normal. While she was never really the girly type, she did have her dolls and did have dreams of getting married and having her own happily ever after like her mother and I."

"Things change…" Booth muttered softly.

"Yes they do. Now, I know my daughter doesn't put much stock in psychology, but I do. And I know that if we hadn't left her, she wouldn't have become the woman that she is today. There are rare times when I take comfort in the fact that this is a good thing because Temperance is smart, strong and confident. She stands up for herself and is pretty good at defending herself too." Max chuckled, "Hell, even if I was 30 years younger she could probably kick my ass. But, most of the time all I see is how being abandoned caused her to become so closed off."

Booth was growing uncomfortable with talking about his partner like this. So again he asked, "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"You've changed her Booth, more then I ever thought possible. Before you came into her life all she had was her job and Angela. Sure there were men, but aside from that moron Michael nothing was ever serious. She had no life… but worst of all she had no feelings about not having one. There was never a sense that she regretted it, or wished for it to be some other way, instead she just accepted it. You changed that. You helped her begin to live, and slowly signs of the old Tempe came back. For the first time in years there was life in her eyes again and she was smiling. And, no matter how much she tries to push you away, you are always there for her."

Max paused and studied Booth for a second before continuing. "I know you're in love with my daughter Booth."


	3. Chapter Three

_A/N: Again I have to say thanks for all the great reviews. In the past I have only written fan fiction for Soap Operas, and I have to say you Bones fans are much better reviewers! _

**Chapter Three**

"I know you're in love with my daughter Booth."

Max quickly continued, knowing that Booth would try and interrupt with his objections. "Not only can I see it in the things that you do for her, but also in way you look at her. I may be old, but I didn't miss that look you two shared when you brought us that tree."

Booth's eyes widened in shock as he adamantly shook his head. "You're wrong… Temperance is my partner and probably my best friend – but that's it…"

"I know that's not true and maybe you haven't realized it yet, but someday you will. And when you do, and if/when Temperance realizes it, she's going to run. All her fears and insecurities will rise to the surface and she will pull away from you. Even if she feels something too – and chances are she does – she will hide from it and all those walls will go right back up. When this happens you can't just let her be and hope that she will come around. You have to push her, make her realize you aren't going anywhere, because if you give her space Booth she'll take that as a form of abandonment and you'll never get close enough to her again to be able to change her mind."

Shifting in his seat, Booth was unable to meet Max's eyes. "That's what you had to see me about?"

Shaking his head, Max smiled. "No, that was just something I wanted to say while I had a chance to be alone with you." He suddenly tuned serious, "The reason I asked you here is because Tempe's life could be in danger."

Bolting upright, Booth's eyes went flat, "What do you mean her life could be in danger?"

"In the time after I left, I stayed off the grid but not out of the game. I did some jobs for people who made sure Temperance and Russ stayed safe and that I stayed hidden. I also did some in return for information on people who were still looking for me and those getting too close to the kids."

"Did you kill these people?" Booth asked automatically as he went into agent-mode.

"That doesn't matter, all that matters is I kept my family safe."

"What does this have to do with Temperance?"

With a look of regret etched onto his face, Max sighed. "Some of these people are a lot more powerful now then they were then. Some grew into larger mobs or underground rings and others got into politics. The bottom line is now that I am inside, I am threat to them. And since they can't get to me or Russ, they may go after Temperance to remind me to keep quiet."

"How do you know this?"

Max shrugged, "I have my sources, none of which I will be reveling to you. The point is, there's a way you can keep her safe."

Knowing that like himself, Max only wanted to protect Temperance, Booth trusted in whatever idea Max had. "Which is?"

"I kept notes – detailed notes on a lot of people and their illegal dealings. It was what I used as collateral, in case I ever needed a favor or if I was doing and job and there was a chance they might cross me. Luckily they knew how far I would go to keep my family safe, so they never attempted it. But with me in here, Russ and Tempe are fair game to send me a message that I need to keep my mouth shut." Max took a deep breath to keep his anger in check. "They wouldn't kill her because she's no use to them dead, but they could rough her up in some way, just so I know they mean business."

"Who are these people?" Booth asked, also growing angry at the idea of Brennan being hurt.

"I don't know all their real names, but everything I have is written down in a leather bound journal that I hid before you arrested me. In it, are locations of their safe houses, areas you may find stuff they want hidden, names of business they operate under. All types of information that the FBI will be able to use to take them down. There's a storage unit in Ohio, close to our old house. After we left, Russ had everything packed up and moved into this unit. Once he got arrested, it transferred over to Temperance. It's an automatic renewal and to be honest I don't even think she gives much thought to it. In fact she probably just puts its existence out of her mind. That's where I hid the book."

Booth's expression turned incredulous. "While in hiding, you hid your collateral in a storage unit packed up with things from your old life?"

"Pretty smart eh?" Max said with a smirk. "Hiding in plain sight is the best way to hide. Anyway, it's in the storage unit in one of the boxes. It will have everything you need to deal with these people. Booth, I'm trusting you to keep my daughter safe…"

Knowing there was nothing else to discuss, Max stood up and motioned to the guards that he was done. As they entered the room and began escorting him back to his cell, he glanced back at Booth to offer one last piece of advice, "And remember what I said about Tempe… don't let her run."

Turning away from the younger man, Max couldn't help but grin.

'_I still have it.'_ He thought to himself, proud that his time in prison hadn't hindered his ability to scheme.

While the journal he told Booth about did exist, and did include information that would bring down some people, the threat on Temperance had been exaggerated. Most people knew that even in jail Max Keenan was not a man to be crossed, and he had measures in place to take care of those who didn't understand that. There were also other journals, all hidden, that included information on some of the more power powerful people, like those in politics. But, just as he had the last time someone had come after his children, Max would take care of it himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust Booth - in fact Booth was probably the only person in law enforcement that he had ever liked – but Max would kill for his children, whether it was necessary or not.

So this situation was not as extreme as Max had led Booth to believe. The truth was, he had heard talk that some of his old acquaintances were considering taking advantage of the fact Max was in jail to settle some old scores. It was him, not Temperance that could be facing danger.

Normally he would deal with the situation himself by getting a contact on the outside to take care of it. But he recognized the advantage in handing it to Booth.

Temperance would be forced to face her past.

Max had meant everything he had said to Booth during their meeting. He was starting to see happiness and life in his daughter's eyes, and it thrilled him that she had made a family Christmas possible for him. Now he was giving her a gift – the chance at closure.

He knew that Temperance had been to that storage facility once in her life, just after she had turned eighteen. She ignored the past by keeping only a few family pictures and hardly any mementos of her childhood. And Max knew in order for her to move on and be truly happy, she needed to confront the past rather then continue to hide from it.

And Temperance would never know that he had been behind it. They would find the journal, take down the people who posed a threat to him, and she would face her past without knowing it had been set up. Everyone won.

He knew it wouldn't be easy. Temperance had built up so many walls to protect herself, and that storage unit would likely force them to come crashing down. Which is why Max had called Booth. Whether Booth wanted to admit it or not, he loved Temperance and Max knew he wouldn't let her do this alone. He knew Booth wouldn't risk handing it off to other agents, and would insist he go himself. This in turn, would make Temperance go with him. So, Booth would be with her – under the guise of protecting her – and be there for her no matter how hard it got.

Max's smile grew wider. Everything would work out according to his plan.

It always did.


End file.
